A Great Year of Service

Americorps • November 24, 2020

The 2020 MUCC Field Team! From Left to Right Makhayla LaButte, Joe Dewan, Emma Nehan

 Today is the final day of my first term of service with Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) and the Huron Pines AmeriCorps program. Even though so much has occurred since I began my service, it is still hard to believe that ten months have passed since my first day. Back in February, like all other AmeriCorps members, I kicked off my service by taking the AmeriCorps pledge, “I will get things done for America – to make our people safer, smarter, and healthier. I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities. Faced with apathy, I will take action. Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground. Faced with adversity, I will persevere. I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond. I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.” Last Thursday, it seemed appropriate as the service term was finishing that I watched fellow members from across Michigan recite this pledge in the annual Michigan AmeriCorps celebration. 

Throughout the past ten months, I have learned many new things from the MUCC field team. Practical and professional skills that have helped me jumpstart my career in natural resources. On my very first day of service, Morgan Jennings taught me how to age a deer by using its jawbone. Later during my service, Shaun Mckeon taught me all about waterfowl identification, specifically how to teach identification to school-age children. Emma Nehan taught me how to plan for every contingency when organizing volunteers, and Makhayla LaButte taught me how to correctly  plant a tree. The other amazing individuals that make up MUCC’s communication, education and advocacy pillars all taught me how a non-profit organization stays hard at work and gets things done even in the face of adversity. 

Joe Dewan and his supervisor Shaun Mckeon

While many of the days of service saw me working from my home, I did have several days that were spent ou t in the field across the entire state.  From planting wildflowers on public land near the Ohio border to removing trash from a watersjed  in the Upper Peninsula, I have enjoyed every bit of conservation work that I this service term has presented me. There is still plenty more work to do, and that is why I am excited to announce that I will be returning to serve a second term as the Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member for MUCC in 2021! I look forward to returning in January and getting back to serving and protecting Michigan’s natural resources!

 

 

Recent Posts

By Justin Tomei June 30, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MUCC Submits Public Comment in Support of Line 5 Tunnel Project Lansing, MI — Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC), the nation’s largest statewide conservation organization, has submitted formal public comments urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve the Enbridge Line 5 Tunnel Project. In a letter submitted today, MUCC emphasized the need to move this critical infrastructure forward to protect the Great Lakes while maintaining safe, reliable energy transportation. “MUCC supports the tunnel project as the best available alternative to reduce the risk of an environmental disaster in the Straits of Mackinac while continuing to deliver essential energy products to Michigan families and industries,” said Amy Trotter, CEO of MUCC. “We believe the tunnel project strikes a balance between protecting the environment and maintaining energy security.” MUCC’s position is backed by a formal resolution passed by its membership, which includes thousands of hunters, anglers, trappers, and outdoor enthusiasts across Michigan. The resolution supports the tunnel as a long-term solution that replaces the aging and exposed pipeline segment currently crossing the Straits, offering greater environmental safeguards through secondary containment. The organization cited the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which acknowledges the tunnel’s benefits, including reduced spill risk and a controlled, buried environment for transporting light crude oil and natural gas liquids. MUCC also rejected the "no action alternative," which would allow the existing line to remain in operation without any new protective infrastructure. “Other alternatives, like transporting fuel by truck or rail, are inefficient and carry greater environmental and safety risks,” Trotter added. “Allowing the current line to operate exposed on the lakebed indefinitely is simply not acceptable.” MUCC’s comment stresses that the organization is not weighing in on the type of energy transported, but rather on the environmental risks and safety benefits of the tunnel itself. Originally approved by the Michigan legislature and governor in 2018, the Great Lakes Tunnel Project represents a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure and environmental protection. MUCC urges the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue the necessary permits and move forward with construction without further delay. For Media Contact: Justin Tomei jtomei@mucc.org 517-346-6488 #####
By Olivia Triltsch June 26, 2025
Since its inception, MUCC has made great strides in the conservation of natural resources through advocacy, habitat, youth education, and communications.
By Katelyn Helsel June 25, 2025
On Saturday, June 21, 2025, MUCC’s On the Ground program partnered with the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute (PCCI) for a native plug planting day in Barry County. Located on 850 acres, the institute offers both environmental education opportunities and serves as a biological field station for conducting research. Many diverse native communities from wetlands to prairies are present at PCCI, and many rare or threatened species in Michigan like the eastern box turtle call the institute home. 
More Posts